ECON 8871 Theory of International Trade

This class covers methods and applications in not only international trade but also spatial economics: the two Nobel prize winners in trade, Ohlin and Krugman, earned their reputation due to their contributions to both international trade and economic geography. I will begin with covering a few basic models of international trade that serve as the backbone of many other subsequent frameworks. We will then extend these basic models to richer setups, including those in spatial economics. I am thinking also to cover methods and tools in the area of trade and the environment as well as optimal policy designs, which are important when there are market failures such as in the presence of scale economies or when it comes to climate change.